Merlin's Snake: The Philosopher's Stone
by EnderSorceress
Summary: Faye Adder learns on her eleventh birthday that he is a young witch is summoned from her life as a traveling healer and adventurers ward and apprentice to become a student at Hogwarts, a boarding school for magic where she meets several students who become her closest allies. But not everything is what it seems as the students uncover a plot to steal the Philosopher's Stone.
1. Chapter 1 - To Hogwarts

A thin, young girl with dark red hair, and bright green eyes, the age of eleven walked into the busy train station pushing a trolley with a trunk in it and adjusting the knapsack she took with her wherever she went.

'Platform 9 3/4' She thought to herself. You see, on August 24th of that year, her birthday, she had gotten a mysterious letter from an owl. Her guardian, a wizard whom she lived and traveled with recognized the letters sender and grinned as he told her to read it. She was a witch! After a day of celebrating they traveled to Diagon Alley. ("Diagonally? Really?" "Yes, child. And Knockturn Alley, and Horizont Alley.") to obtain her school supplies, including her wand.

Her wand, had taken quite a while for her to find because she had to go through all of the wands in the shop to find it. She had finally found it in the first wand Ollivander had ever made. 12 3/4 In. with an unbending flexibility, an elegant mix of vine wood and aspen wood with a dragon scale and a unicorn horn sliver, freely given, as a core. It was a perfect weight for her, and it fit her personality perfectly.

She looked at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, spotting a red-headed family with an owl. She quickly walked up to them, noticing the skinny black-haired boy standing next to them nervously. She cleared her throat and two of the red-headed boys turned to look at her.

"Why hello!"

"I'm Gred"

"And I'm Forge"

"Are you"

"Attending Hogwarts"

"Too?" They asked, alternating lines quickly, so that if it weren't for the slightly different voices, she would have thought it were one person. Quickly, she nodded and stuck her hand out.

"I'm Faye, Faye Adder. First year, I suppose." The two boys, too similar looking to be anything but twins, shook her hand.

"Mom! We've got another firstie!" They chorused, and Faye snorted as the kind looking woman looked over at them.

"Oh! Hello dear!" She smiled warmly. I'm Molly Weasley. I hope those tow wasn't giving you any trouble. Quite the pranksters, those two." Faye gave a short laugh.

"I figured that when they introduced themselves as Forge and Gred. I take it they're named Fred and George?" She smiled when Mrs. Weasley nodded, then turned to the boys. "Fred, George," she looked pointedly at each boy as she said their names, and reveled in the shocked look she got when she named them correctly. "If you prank me, you're asking for a full our war, and I don't go easy." She gave a mischievous grin, and it only widened when she got the same look back.

"Missus Weasley, do you think you could tell me how to get through to the platform? My guardian told me it was between platforms 9 & 10, but he was called into work and didn't have the time to tell me how to get on." She fidgeted nervously, no matter how much time she spent around human beings, she was always more comfortable around creatures. Both magical and mundane. The woman smiled at her.

"Of course, dear! You just have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. You can do it with this young man. Go on, now before Ron." She gave a small nod and lined her trolley up in front of the barrier, next to the black-haired boy, and together they started walking, then jogging, then running, and Faye smiled when she stepped on the other side of the barrier.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. Faye looked behind her, noticing the boy doing the same, and saw a wrought-iron archway where the barrier had been, with the words Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. They had done it.

Faye smiled as one of her three familiars, a Golden Eagle that had taken to her in Syria that she had named Altair, flew down and settled himself down in his cage. The two magic users pushed through the crowd until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train, Faye put Altair and her other caged familiar, Ethelin, up in the compartment with Harry's owl, Hedwig.

Ethelin was a Norwegian Forest Cat kitten, she was a mix of a dark grey and white, with vibrant blue eyes, they had picked her up off the side of a road in Norway a few weeks before she had gotten her Hogwarts letter. The kitten had had a bad infection in one of her front paws, thankfully not any more though. She quickly removed her final familiar from her neck. A blue and green Atherius snake, or an African Bush Viper, hissed at her in annoyance and she rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, the door opened and Faye spun around, seeing Fred, George, and the black-haired boy with their trunks. She rushed over to help.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't think I had been that long!" She cried, helping them raise their trunks onto the rack. The twins waved at her and the boy and raced off to answer their mothers summons. She looked at the black-haired boy and stuck out her hand.

"I'm Faye Adder, what's your name?"

"Harry Potter. Apparently, I'm some kind of big deal around here. Can I ask why you have an Eagle, Snake, and Cat?" She grinned.

"They're my familiars. The cat is Shayma, you can call her Shay, don't mind her hissing. The Eagle is Altair, you can call him Al. He's got a giant ego so ignore his preening. The Snake is Ethelin, call her Ethel, she's about as prideful as Al is." She ignored her Familiars angered noises and pointed to Harry's owl. "Is she your Familiar?" Harry shook his head.

"Not that I'm aware of, what is a familiar, and how do you make them your Familiar?" He asked her curious. She smiled.

"A familiar is like a pet, but they're more connected to their witch or wizard. They live as long as them and normally develop powers. If the bond is strong enough then the witch or wizard can understand their body language as if they were speaking, feel their emotions, and sometimes see through their eyes. To make an animal your familiar, ask them if they want to be your familiar. If they give you a positive reaction, you have to do the ritual. You can ask her, and if she says yes I can have my mentor send me the materials for the ritual and I can help walk you through it." Harry grinned excitedly and turned to his owl.

"Did ya hear that, Hedwig? Do you want to become my familiar?" Faye grinned as the owl started hooting and flapping. Harry walked over and opened the cage and Hedwig flew onto his shoulder and nipped at his ear. "I'll take that as a yes, huh girl."

"I'll send the letter out tonight, the things for it should be in by Friday next week, we can do the ritual on Saturday. Harry grinned at her.

"Thank you! Hey, how about we change into our uniforms but leave our robes off for when we get to the school?" He asked when he noticed them leaving the station, and Faye nodded.

"I'll go and change in the bathroom, you stay here and watch my familiars for me, okay?" She nodded to where Ethel was curled around Shay, and Al was perched next to Hedwig, seemingly in a very engaging conversation. Harry nodded and she reached past the birds and grabbed her uniform and after a quick change, ran back to compartment. She stopped in the door when she saw a tall red-headed boy, talking to Harry, while nervously glancing at Ethel every few moments. She fully stepped inside and closed the door, sitting down next to her two familiars. She picked Ethel up and draped her around her neck and looked at the red-headed boy.

"Hi! I'm Faye, what's your name?" She asked, grinning brightly. The boy seemed to come back to his senses.

"I'm Ron Weasley. Isn't that dangerous?" He pointed to Ethel and Faye gave a small laugh.

"Nah, Pythons are the ones that constrict. Ethelin here is a Viper. She prefers to use her venom. Either way, she's one of my Familiars, she won't hurt me." Ron nodded. "Are you the fourth in your family to go to Hogwarts? That was your family at the barrier, right?" She asked and Ron shook his head, gloomy.

"No, I'm the sixth. You can say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat." Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my mom and dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead." Ron ears went pink and Harry gave him a small smile before telling them a bit about his home life, causing Faye to narrow her eyes.

' _ **That's borderline Neglect!**_ She growled through her bond and her familiars sent her calm feelings to her through it, she took a deep breath and gave Harry a small smile.

"Hey, Harry, when'd you learn of Magic, I've known for a few years. My guardian and mentor is a wizard, and I guess Ron has known for a few years too, as he has two brothers out of Hogwarts already." Ron nodded.

"I've known all my life, my family's all magical." Harry shrugged.

"I only learned a few weeks ago when Hagrid told me. I didn't know anything about being a wizard or about my parents or Voldemort-" Ron gasped, and Faye rolled her eyes.

"What?" said Harry.

" _You said You-Know-Who's name!_ " said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people-"

"I'm not trying to be _brave_ or anything, saying the name," said Harry, "I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn...I bet," he added, voicing for the first time something that had been worrying him a lot lately, "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"No, you won't, Harry. First of all, you can say Voldemort." She ignored Ron's gasp and flinch. "It's not even his real name. It's French for 'Flight from Death.' No way his parents actually chose that as his name. And do you really think people from the magical world practice spells before attending school? They're likely to blow someone up! My mentor has responded to several instances where a kid took one of their parents' wand and tried to use it. Trust me, it doesn't end well. You may need to learn some etiquette though, but I can lend you a book on that."

"Thanks! I might take you up on that offer, and you keep mentioning your mentor, can I ask who he is?" Faye smiled.

"Yeah, he's my guardian. Took me in when I was younger, about six. I've been with him ever since. We travel around a lot, helping out groups of magical creatures, dragons, centaurs, merpeople, etc. and the occasional human." She smiled sadly. "I care about him like he's my father, but I'm pretty sure he just sees me as like, a niece or something." The two boys nodded and they stayed quiet after that, just watching the towns turn to fields. Soon, however, the trolley lady came by and they started sharing the sweets Harry and Faye bought, and Harry got a crash course on Chocolate frog cards, getting a Dumbledore on his first one. Faye ended up getting a Merlin, which she gave to Ron with a grin after claiming she had several. They continued like this for a while before a young witch butted herself in as Ron was trying a spell his brother gave him. Faye, of course, knew it was a fake. It sounded nothing like what her mentor used.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. 'Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard-I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough-I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast. Harry looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasely," Ron muttered.

"Faye Adder." Faye stated, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Harry Potter." said Harry.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course- I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in 'Modern Magical History' and 'The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts' and 'Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century.'"

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know, I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione, and Faye was done.

"You haven't had many friends before, have you?" Hermione shook her head. "Okay, you seem really nice, however, the way you're going about it is entirely wrong. You should try starting out by introducing yourself and asking their names, then try and talk to them. Engage in a conversation, don't just go off on a rant. You also shouldn't believe everything you read in books, it's not always right. History is written by the winners, the more politically powerful, and those with something to hide. You have to use your own brain sometimes. Do you really think a one year old would be able to vanquish a dark lord? It was most likely his parents. The girl seemed to mull this over in her head before nodding.

"Can we restart?" she asked timidly, and Faye nodded brightly.

"Of course! I'm Faye Adder, these are my familiars, Shayma, Ethelin, and Altair." She pointed at each animal in order and Hermione's eyes widened but she only looked to the boys as they reintroduced themselves, then she bid them goodbye, going to continue helping a boy named Neville look for his missing toad. "Hey," Faye asked. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the House Voldemort was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"Hey, don't be so prejudiced. They can't all be bad. They say Merlin himself was in that house, and besides, there's nothing wrong with being cunning and ambitious. Slytherin's are also said to be extremely loyal to those they call friends." Ron seemed to think this over, but still seemed doubtful, so Faye went on. "Of course, that's not to say that all of them are good, but I'm sure every house has a few rotten eggs. I'll probably be in either Gryffindor or Slytherin. What about you, Harry?" She asked, but the boy just shrugged and they changed the topic to Ron's brothers, Quidditch and the Gringotts break in, then something interesting happened, the door slid open again. But this time, it was someone new. Three boys entered, and Faye recognized the middle one as Draco Malfoy, a boy she had met only once, he had walked in while she was finishing getting her wand.

He and his father had knocked into her mentor and her, knocking her into a pile of wand boxes, and causing her mentor to double over, as Malfoy Sr. had slammed into his stomach. She had quickly gotten up and pulled her mentor up, Malfoy Sr. was well into a scathing remark about how they were dressed, when her mentor had looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. Malfoy Sr. had immediately gone white and whirled around to talk with Ollivander. Malfoy Jr. however, was a lot less willing to stand down, and the two of them had traded a few verbal blows before Draco's father called him over. The boy had turned with an excellent sneer and Faye's mentor had dragged her off, informing her exactly who the Malfoys were, and why he had so much sway over them. She quickly decided to sit this one out and watch how the two boys handled it.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So, it's you, is it?"

"Yes," said Harry. Faye looked at the other boys, and she noticed Harry doing the same. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Harry was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy." Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford." He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there." He held out his hand to shake Harry's, but Harry didn't take it.

"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." he said coolly. Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter," he said slowly. "Unless you're a bit politer you'll go the same ways as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang around with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid, and it'll rub off on you." Faye's eyes flashed.

"You've gone too far, Malfoy. Petty words, I think they can handle, but that was a threat on Harrys life. Get out now, or I can assure you, your father will be getting a letter from my mentor about this, and I'm sure you don't want that." She lifted her nose and raised an eyebrow at him, a look that screamed I'm more powerful than you, don't mess with me. Malfoy turned whiter than usual and spun around. Walking out of the compartment quickly. A few seconds later, Hermione poked her head in.

"What's going on? I noticed that jerk walking out of here, he didn't try anything, did he?" She looked honestly worried. Ron answered.

"He insulted my family, and threatened Harry, but Faye jumped in and mentioned her mentor and he turned white as snow!" Faye rolled her eyes as the conversation continued on as such, even after Hermione left. Soon enough, a voice echoed through the train.

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately." Faye's stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, she saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor. The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Faye shivered in the cold night air, and Ethel curled closer to her, around her stomach.

Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and Faye heard a voice she recognized slightly from her trip to Diagon Alley.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! All right there, Harry?" The giant man looked at Harry, beaming. "C'mon, follow me-any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, they followed Hagird down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagird called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n five to a boat!" Hagrid called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Harry, Faye, and Ron were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" shouted Hagrid, who had a boat to himself. "Right then-FORWARD!" And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass.

Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over them as they sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" yelled Hagrid as the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" said Hagrid, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of them.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands.

They clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Sorting Hat

**Hey all! I'd like to thank Amy4rei for the review! :D**

 **Okay, so there's obviously a difference between the two magics. So, my theories are that after Camelot fell magic started to decline and become feared again. Magic users became weaker because no one practiced the old religions spells anymore except for Merlin. Magic users turned to wands, which restricted their magic, but also made it easier to cast spells. As the magic was flowing through the wands, not through the body and blood, it no longer turned the magic users eyes gold. Soon, this new form of magic was only** **accessible to a select few.**

 **I'll most likely explain this in the story, but Merlin was a friend of Faye's family after he saved her fathers (who was the brother of a muggleborn, so they all knew of magic) life some odd years ago. So when her parents died, Merlin took her in. Hope that explains everything you were wondering.**

 **If you all have questions, feel free to review and I'll try my best to answer them all!**

* * *

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Faye's first thought was that this was not someone to cross. Her second thought was that she reminded her of her mentor the only time she had managed to make him angry.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here." She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit a small house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Faye could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right-the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together, than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule breaking will lose House points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours. The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose. Faye noticed Harry nervously trying to flatten his hair.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." She left the chamber.

"How exactly do they sort us into Houses?" Harry asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking." Ron answered and Faye snorted.

"That's not likely." She stated loud enough for everyone to here. "You're sorted on your personality, I know a school in the US that was based off of this one sorts using Statues and move. We'll likely be sorted in a similar manner. They won't hurt us, or have us do any magic." She smiled at everyone as she noticed several people relaxing. She turned to talk to Hermione, then something happened that made her jump about a foot in the air - several people behind her screamed.

"What the-?"

She gasped. So, did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost-I say, what are you all doing here?" A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them.

"About to be Sorted, I suppose?" A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old House, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me." Faye quickly slipped behind Harry and Ron, with Hermione and Neville behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Faye took in the sight. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver.

She looked up and almost started crying. The ceiling showed the same sky she had slept under last night, and it brought a terrible realization to her. Last night was the last time until Christmas that she would see the person she saw as a father.

Faye quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. It looked like what her mentor would wear if he needed a pointed hat, it would go well with his worn down clothes.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth-and the hat began to sing.

 _"Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

 _But don't judge on what you see,_

 _I'll eat myself if you can find_

 _A smarter hat than me._

 _You can keep your bowlers black,_

 _Your top hats sleek and tall,_

 _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

 _And I can cap them all._

 _There's nothing hidden in your head_

 _The Sorting Hat can't see,_

 _So try me on and I will tell you_

 _Where you ought to be._

 _You might belong in Gryffindor,_

 _Where dwell the brave at heart,_

 _Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

 _Set Gryffindors apart:_

 _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

 _Where they are just and loyal,_

 _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

 _And unafraid of toil;_

 _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

 _If you've a ready mind,_

 _Where those of wit and learning,_

 _Will always find their kind;_

 _Or perhaps in Slytherin_

 _You'll make your real friends,_

 _Those cunning folk use any means_

 _To achieve their ends._

 _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

 _And don't get in a flap!_

 _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

 _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song.

It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So, we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to Harry. 'I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

Faye smiled weakly, she expected it to be something like this, but that didn't make it any easier.. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot, she didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment. If only the hat had mentioned a House for people who felt a bit homesick, that would have been the one for her.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call you name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbot, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moment's pause-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table.

"Adder, Faye!" She stepped up quickly and sat as the hat was dropped over her eyes.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, oh my goodness, yes-and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting...So where shall I put you?"

"Where ever you think is best, I suppose." She thought, directing her thoughts at the presence she could feel in her mind.

"A natural Occulmens I see. I can see that, like your mentor, you would do best in…SLYTHERIN!" Faye stood and walked over to the green and sliver table that was clapping politely. She sat down as the professor called out:

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Faye could see the Weasley twins catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then joined her at the table.

He was starting to feel definitely sick now.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Faye noticed, the hat shouted out the House at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Harry in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" shouted the hat, and Faye got several odd looks as she clapped for her friend.

When Neville was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself, until Faye smirked at him from a few seats down,

There weren't many people left now.

"Moon"..."Nott"..."Parkinson"...then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne"...and then, at last-

"Potter, Harry!"

As Harry stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Harry Potter?"

Faye waited nervously as the hat sorted him. Finally:

"SLYTHERIN!" Faye grinned and clapped excitedly, before noticing no one else was. After a few seconds, the twins, Ron, Hermione, and Neville joined in. Then the Headmaster, and the teachers followed. Harry took a seat next to her and she grinned as she wrapped Ethelin around his shoulders. Whispering that Ethel wanted to congratulate him.

Harry heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. He took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table.

Faye looked at the high table, and at the end sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her a thumb up. She nudged Harry and pointed to Hagrid, who gave him the same treatment Faye smiled as Harry grinned back.

And now there were only four people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron,

joined Harry at the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Harry crossed his fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to Hermione. Faye and Harry grinned at Ron when they caught his eye as "Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin.

Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome!" he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet. I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Faye didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he-a bit mad?" Harry asked the older student next to him uncertainly.

"Mad?" the teen snorted. "That's one way to put it. But he's a genius though. Have some food though."

Faye laughed as Harry's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of them were now piled with food. Faye herself had never seen so many things to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reasons, peppermint humbugs.

Harry piled his plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat, but Faye just grabbed some beef and carrots.

A conversation had started on people's families, and Faye cringed when Harry said he lived in the muggle world all his life. As the hateful comments flooded her ears she cleared her throat, everyone looked at her.

"Muggles aren't all bad." She said, looking them all in the eyes. "There like magical people, but where they lack magic, they make up in creativity. They have invented ways to travel quicker, and write quicker. She snorted. "You ridicule them, yet things that magicals use every day were invented by muggles. Bricks, stoves, carriages, the like. Don't judge before you know people, they really are quite brilliant." Most of the snakes around them rolled their eyes or sneered, but the teen Harry was talking to nodded.

"You're right. I'm Jake Kelly, by the way. I'm one of your perfects, Gemma Farley, over there, is your other. If you have any problems, you can ask us." He smiled at them and turned back to his friends. When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate ĂŠclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding...

As Harry helped himself to a treacle tart, Faye grabbed a piece herself and a glass of hot chocolate and pulled out Hogwarts: A History and flipping through to the lesser known rules. She looked up, however when Harry yelled out.

"Ouch!" Harry clapped a hand to his head.

"What is it?" asked Jake.

"N-nothing." He stuttered and Faye narrowed her eyes as he continued on like nothing happened.

"Who's the teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" he asked Jake.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to-everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job."

Faye quickly scribbled a note to her mentor about the Familiar Ritual as the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent as she handed the note to Altair and he flew off quickly.

"Ahem-just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years, should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasely twins. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

Harry laughed, but he was one of the few who did.

"He's not serious?" he muttered to Jake.

"Must be," said Jake, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere-the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. He should have given us a reason, at least, because all that's going to do is give people a reason to want to go up there. To find out why."

"And now, before we got to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. Faye noticed that the other teacher's smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

 _"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,_

 _Teach us something please,_

 _Whether we be old and bald_

 _Or young with scabby knees._

 _Our beads could do with filling_

 _With some interesting stuff,_

 _For now they're bare and full of air,_

 _Dead flies and bits of fluff,_

 _So teach us things worth knowing,_

 _Bring back what we've forgot,_

 _Just do your best, we'll do the rest,_

 _And learn until our brains all rot."_

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasely twins were left singing along to a very funeral march.

Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Slytherin first years followed Jake and Gemma through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, and down the stone staircase. Faye focused on the path, waving at the portraits as they passed them. Percy led them through doorways hidden behind sliding panels and hanging tapestries. They walked down more staircases, yawning and dragging their feet, and Faye was just wondering how much farther they had to go when they came to a sudden halt in front of a very nondescript wall and Jake stepped forward.

"You had better remember how we got here, because this is the entrance to the common room." He turned to the wall and spoke clearly.

"Python." Draco snorted and turned to the girl next to him.

"They couldn't have chosen a more Slytherin type password?" His friends sniggered, but was overall ignored. He didn't look too happy about that.

The wall seemed to melt away and Jake stepped to the side as Gemma walked in.

They followed her in and found themselves in a large, spacious room, the windows looked out into water and you could see fish swimming in the slightly murky water. There were plush but elegant green

"Alright! Settle down!" She yelled and motioned for them all to sit down. When they were, she continued. "Congratulations! I'm Prefect Gemma Farley, and I'm delighted to welcome you to SLYTHERIN HOUSE. Our emblem is the serpent, the wisest of creatures; our house colours are emerald green and silver. As you see, our common rooms windows look out into the depths of the Hogwarts lake. We often see the giant squid swooshing by – and sometimes more interesting creatures. We like to feel that our hangout has the aura of a mysterious, underwater shipwreck." Then Jake picked up the speech.

"Now, there are a few things you should know about Slytherin – and a few you should forget. Firstly, let's dispel a few myths. You might have heard rumours about Slytherin house – that we're all into the Dark Arts, and will only talk to you if your great-grandfather was a famous wizard, and rubbish like that. Well, you don't want to believe everything you hear from competing houses. I'm not denying that we've produced our share of Dark wizards, but so have the other three houses – they just don't like admitting it. And yes, we have traditionally tended to take students who come from long lines of witches and wizards, but nowadays you'll find plenty of people in Slytherin house who have at least one Muggle parent." Then Gemma again.

"Here's a little-known fact that the other three houses don't bring up much: Merlin was a Slytherin. Yes, Merlin himself, the most famous wizard in history! He learned all he knew in this very house! Do you want to follow in the footsteps of Merlin? Or would you rather sit at the old desk of that illustrious ex-Hufflepuff, Eglantine Puffett, inventor of the Self-Soaping Dishcloth? I didn't think so. But that's enough about what we're not. Let's talk about what we are, which is the coolest and edgiest house in this school. We play to win, because we care about the honour and traditions of Slytherin." Jake picked it up again.

"We also get respect from our fellow students. Yes, some of that respect might be tinged with fear, because of our Dark reputation, but you know what? It can be fun, having a reputation for walking on the wild side. Chuck out a few hints that you've got access to a whole library of curses, and see whether anyone feels like nicking your pencil case. But we're not bad people. We're like our emblem, the snake: sleek, powerful, and frequently misunderstood. For instance, we Slytherins look after our own – which is more than you can say for Ravenclaw. Apart from being the biggest bunch of swots you ever met, Ravenclaws are famous for clambering over each other to get good marks, whereas we Slytherins are brothers. The corridors of Hogwarts can throw up surprises for the unwary, and you'll be glad you've got the Serpents on your side as you move around the school. As far as we're concerned, once you've become a snake, you're one of ours – one of the elite." Gemma grinned and continued.

"Because you know what Salazar Slytherin looked for in his chosen students? The seeds of greatness. You've been chosen by this house because you've got the potential to be great, in the true sense of the word. All right, you might see a couple of people hanging around the common room whom you might not think are destined for anything special. Well, keep that to yourself. If the Sorting Hat put them in here, there's something great about them, and don't you forget it. And talking of people who _aren't_ destined for greatness, we haven't mentioned the Gryffindors. Now, a lot of people say that Slytherins and Gryffindors represent two sides of the same coin. Personally, I think Gryffindors are nothing more than wannabe Slytherins. Mind you, some people say that Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor prized the same kinds of students, so perhaps we are more similar than we like to think. But that doesn't mean that we cozy up with Gryffindors. They like beating us only slightly less than we like beating them." Several First years laughed and Jake waited until as they stopped to continue.

"A few more things you might need to know: our house ghost is the Bloody Baron. If you get on the right side of him he'll sometimes agree to frighten people for you. Just don't ask him how he got bloodstained; he doesn't like it. The password to the common room changes every fortnight. Keep an eye on the noticeboard. Never bring anyone from another house into our common room or tell them our password. No outsider has entered it for more than seven centuries." Gemma then took charge again.

"Well, I think that's all for now. I'm sure you'll like our dormitories. We sleep in ancient four-posters with green silk hangings, and bedspreads embroidered with silver thread. Medieval tapestries depicting the adventures of famous Slytherins cover the walls, and silver lanterns hang from the ceilings. You'll sleep well; it's very soothing, listening to the lake water lapping against the windows at night." She waved the girls to the left staircase that led down further down as Jake led the boys and Faye gave Harry a wave as the followed. Down the staircase she found a room with a plaque that, in an elegant script, read:

 _Faye Adder, Tracey Davis, Millicent Bulstrode_

 _Daphne Greengrass, Pansy Parkinson_

And there they were, five four-posters hung with deep green, silk curtains. Their trunks had already been brought down as well. Too tired to talk much, Faye pulled on her pajamas, set up the small areas for Altair, Shayma, and Ethelin – the two female animals settling in to sleep – and fell into bed. Faye was asleep within a few moments.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Potions Master

"There, look."

"Where?"

"Next to the tall kid with the red hair."

"Wearing the glasses?"

"Did you see his face?"

"Did you see his scar?"

Whispers followed Faye and Harry from the moment he left his dormitory the next day. People lining up outside classrooms stood on tiptoe to get a look at Harry, or doubled back to pass him in the corridors again, staring. Faye wished they wouldn't, because she was trying to concentrate on finding his way to classes.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump.

Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending.

It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Harry was sure the coats of armor could walk.

The ghosts didn't help, either. It was always a nasty shock when one of them glided suddenly through a door you were trying to open. The Bloody Baron was always happy to point new Snakes in the right direction, but Peeves the Poltergeist was worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for class.

He would drop wastepaper baskets on your head, pull rugs from under your feet, pelt you with bits of chalk, or sneak up behind, invisible, grab your nose, and screech, "GOT YOUR CONK!"

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the caretaker, Argus Filch. Faye managed to get on the wrong side of him on their very first morning by accidently bumping into him and knocking him down. No matter what she said, he was sure that she did it on purpose and was threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Quirrell, who was passing.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamplike eyes just like Filch's.

She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone (except perhaps the Weasely twins) and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts.

The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

And then, once you had managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words.

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost.

Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emeric the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, a class they shared with the Lions, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Harry's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight.

Professor McGonagall, was again different. Faye had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned." Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time.

After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione Granger had made any difference to her match; Professor McGonagall showed the class how it had gone all silver and pointy and gave Hermione a rare smile.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke.

His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story.

For one thing, when Seamus Finnigan asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather; for another, they had noticed that a funny smell hung around the turban, and the Weasely twins insisted that it was stuffed full of garlic as well, so that Quirrell was protected wherever he went.

Harry, Faye knew, was relieved to find out that he wasn't miles behind everyone else. Lots of people had come from Muggle families and, like him, hadn't had any idea that they were witches and wizards.

There was so much to learn that even people like Ron didn't have much of a head start.

Friday was an important day for Hermione and Ron. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without getting lost once, they had said.

"What have we got today?" Harry asked Faye as he poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Gryffindors," she smiled at the two. They had found out that they only had to sit at their own house tables at feasts, so they ate breakfast and lunch with Ron, Hermione, and the twins, and dinner with, Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass, and Blaize Zabini.

"Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors you lot – we'll be able to see if it's true." Ron said, looking at his own time table.

"Wish McGonagall favored us," the twins chorused and Faye snorted. Professor McGonagall was head of Gryffindor House, but it hadn't stopped her from giving them all a huge pile of homework the day before.

Just then, the mail arrived. Faye had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her and Harry a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought Harry anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble his ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls, and Altair had yet to return.

This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Harry's plate. Harry tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I know you get Friday afternoon off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I want to hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig._

 _Hagrid._

Harry borrowed Ron's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again as Altair flew in and dropped a parcel down. She untied the strings and read the note before shoving it to Harry. It detailed everything in the parcel, and how to perform the ritual. She leaned over and whispered to Harry.

"We'll do the ritual tomorrow night, in one of the empty classrooms," and smiled as he nodded and told them all about meeting Hagrid.

It was lucky that they had tea with Hagrid to look forward to, because the Potions lesson turned out to be the worst thing that had happened to them so far.

Potions lesson took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Harry's name.

"Ah, yes," he said softly, "Harry Potter. Our new-celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands.

Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word-like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses...I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." More silence followed this little speech. Harry and Ron exchanged looks with raised eyebrows.

Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead, and Faye was quite interested herself.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione's hand had shot into the air.

"I don't know, sir," said Harry. Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Tut, tut-fame clearly isn't everything." He ignored Hermione's hand.

"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me bezoar?" Hermione stretched her hand as high into the air as it would go without her leaving her seat and Faye rolled her eyes.

"I don't know, sir."

"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?" At this, Hermione stood up, her hand stretching toward the dungeon ceiling, and Faye raised her hand almost lazily.

"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione and Faye do, though, why don't you try them?" A few people laughed; Snape, however was not pleased.

"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "Adder! Answer!" Faye looked at him.

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are two parts the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. How did you expect a muggle raised First Year to know any of this? I only know it because I used to use it all weekly, before I came here!" She threw her hands up in frustration when he only sneered at her before snapping at the rest of the first years.

"Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And two points will be taken from Slytherin House for your cheek, Potter, Adder." Faye just snarled at him.

Things didn't improve for them as the Potions lesson continued. Snape put them all into pairs and set them to mixing up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticizing almost everyone except Malfoy, whom he seemed to like. He was just telling everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs when clouds of acid green smoke and a loud hissing filled the dungeons.

Neville had somehow managed to melt Seamus's cauldron into a twisted blob, and their potion was seeping across the stone floor, burning holes in people's shoes. Within seconds, the whole class was standing on their stools while Neville, who had been drenched in the potion when the cauldron collapsed moaned in pain as angry red boils sprang up all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" snarled Snape, clearing the spilled potion away with one wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?" Neville whimpered as boils started to pop up all over his nose. "Take him up to the hospital wing," Snape spat at Seamus. Then he rounded on Harry and Ron, who had been working next to Neville.

"You-Weasley-why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor." This was so unfair that Harry opened his mouth to argue, but quickly closed it for some reason. That didn't stop Faye from snarling at him for the rest of the period. As they climbed the steps out of the dungeon an hour later, Faye's mind was on overdrive. Why did Snape target Harry specifically?

"Cheer up, " said Ron, trying to help Harry who was feeling down about the loss of points. "Snape's always taking points off Fred and George."

At five to three they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house on the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. When Harry knocked they heard a frantic scrabbling from inside and several booming barks. Then Hagrid's voice rang out, saying, "Back, Fang-back."

Hagrid's big, hairy face appeared in the crack as he pulled the door open. "Hang on," he said. "Back, Fang." He let them in, struggling to keep a hold on the collar of an enormous black boarhound.

There was only one room inside. Hams and pheasants were hanging from the ceiling, a copper kettle was boiling on the open fire, and in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt cover it.

"Make yerselves at home," said Hagrid, letting go of Fang, who bounded straight at Ron and started licking his ears. Like Hagrid, Fang was clearly not as fierce as he looked.

"This is Ron, Faye, Hermione, and Neville." Harry told Hagrid, who was pouring boiling water into a large teapot and putting rock cakes onto a plate.

"Another Weasely, eh?" said Hagrid, glancing at Ron's freckles.

"I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest. As fer ya, Neville, I don't know much bout yer grandmother, but from stories, she sounds nice."

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but they all pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

Harry and Faye were delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch, "that old git."

"An' as fer that cat, Mrs. Norris, I'd like ter introduce her to Fang sometime. D'yeh know, every time I go up ter the school, she follows me everywhere? Can't get rid of her-Filch puts her up to it." Harry told Hagrid about Snape's lesson. Hagrid, like Ron, told Harry not to worry about it, that Snape liked hardly any of the students.

"But he seemed to really hate me."

"Rubbish!" said Hagrid. "Why should he?" Yet Faye couldn't help noticing that Hagrid didn't quite meet this eyes when he said that. "How's yer brother Charlie?" Hagrid asked Ron. "I liked him a lot-great with animals." Faye wondered if Hagrid had changed the subject on purpose.

While Ron told Hagrid all about Charlie's work with dragons, Harry picked up a piece of paper that was lying on the table under the tea cozy and Faye leaned over to read it with him. It was a cutting from the Daily Prophet:

 _GRINGOTTS BREAK-IN LATEST_

 _Investigations continue into the break-in at_

 _Gringotts on 31 July, widely believed to be the_

 _work of Dark wizards or witches unknown._

 _Gringotts goblin today insisted that nothing_

 _had been taken. The vault that was searched had in_

 _fact had been emptied the same day._

 _"But we're not telling you what was in there, so_

 _keep your noses out if you know what's good_

 _for you," said a Gringotts spokesgoblin this after-_

 _noon._

Faye remembered Ron telling them on the train that someone had tried to rob Gringotts, but Ron hadn't mentioned the date.

"Hagrid!" said Harry, "that Gringotts break-in happened on my birthday! It might've been happening while we were there!" Faye looked at Hagrid and narrowed her eyes. There was no doubt about it, Hagrid definitely didn't meet Harry's eyes this time. He grunted and offered him another rock cake.

As they walked back to the common room that night, Faye questioned Harry about what had happened. She couldn't help agreeing with him, that package might have been what they were looking for. The only question was, where was it now? And Hagrid must have known something about Snape that he didn't want to tell them all, but what?


	4. Chapter 4 - Familiars and Wands

Faye had never thought she would truly hate anyone, that was before she met Draco Malfoy. Still, it was easy to stay away from him. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and she would wander the castle until almost curfew before running back to their dorms and sleeping. The two Slytherins would wake up early and stay in the common room before slipping down to the great hall for breakfast. The only place Malfoy could get away with anything, was in the Potions Class room, so it wasn't too bad. The three Gryffindors and two Slytherins had struck up a routine that they followed, and it worked just fine.

The next Saturday morning, Faye and Harry hurried from the great hall after breakfast and to the small, abandoned classroom they had chosen to do the ritual in. Faye quickly pulled the parcel out of the extended knapsack that she had stuffed it in and opened it up while Harry opened the window enough for Hedwig to soar through before closing it and pulling the old drapes shut. Faye sat down and, following her memory and the directions that her mentor had sent her, using the Black chalk, drew a large square. Then, using the red chalk, drew a diamond-type shape inside the square, making one point of the diamond jut out of the square, enough to draw inside. Then, using the black chalk, drew a swooping line from the point of the diamond sticking out, to the two points of the square, closest to the point. Finally, using the red chalk, she drew the moon cycle with the full moon being inside the diamond point, the other cycle phases following the black arch. Harry then walked over and placed one of Hedwig's feathers in the center of the square and Faye made a small salt triangle around it, before making a salt circle touching the chalk lines. Then she placed the candles, the white and black at the top where the diamond and square crossed, and a red where they touched. Then she stepped back and watched as Harry lit them. She handed him the Sage and Vanilla Incense and sent him a reassuring smile on her face before leaving the room.

She waited until she faintly heard him preforming the spell before walking away to meet two of their three Gryffindor friends in the Library for a bit of studying. They stayed in there, Faye helping Neville understand potions using his knowledge of Herbology, and Hermione helping Harry, when he showed up beaming with Hedwig on his shoulder, with his spell work and theory. The topic of wands seemed to come up out of nowhere.

"Mines 11" long, made of holly, with a phoenix feather core." Harry said, setting it on the table. It was beautifully carved, and the 'handle' seemed to still have the bark on it.

"10¾," vine wood, dragon heartstring core." Hermione beamed proudly, placing the wand on the table next to Harry's. Neville fidgeted.

"I have my father's wand." He muttered, setting it down. Faye looked at him in confusion.

"Don't you have your own?" She asked and Neville shook his head. She looked at Harry in confusion.

"Neville, you need your own wand. That will never work right for you." Neville shrugged.

"My Gran wanted me to use my fathers, so I can honor his memory." He seemed to be trying to look everywhere but them, and Faye stood up.

"C'mon you, let's go to McGonagall. I will personally pay for you to get a wand if I have to." She looked at him and Neville gave a small laugh.

"And I thought it was the Gryffindors that were supposed to be stubborn." She grinned at him.

"Nah, every house can be. You Lions just show it more often than everyone else." She grinned at him and grabbed his hand, hauling him up.

They quickly walked off to Professor McGonagall's office and knocked on the door, entering when told. Professor McGonagall was sitting at her desk, looking confused.

"Miss Adder, Mister Longbottom, Miss Granger, Mister Potter." She looked to each of them in turn. "I trust this isn't a social visit?" Faye shook her head.

"No, Professor. Neville hasn't gotten his own wand, he's using his fathers. He said his Grandmother said something about, what was it Neville?" She turned to him, and he seemed to fidget.

"She wanted me to use my father's so I could honor his memory." Professor McGonagall seemed to get angry, and Neville seemed to shrink in on himself more.

"Well, Mister Longbottom, I will Floo Augusta at once and talk to her about this. Though, you should know you are not in trouble. Though this does explain why you are having trouble with your spell work, Mister Longbottom." Neville seemed to relax at this, and she nodded at them. "I'm glad you all came to me about this, I suspect you will be able to obtain you wand tomorrow, right in time for the new week." Neville seemed to brighten up at this, and Faye grinned.

"Thanks Professor!" She called as they walked out of the room.

The next day, Faye found herself standing in Professor McGonagall's office as Madam Longbottom Flooed in. Apparently, the Head of the Noble house wanted to meet the child who helped bring it to her attention that, perhaps using his father's wand was harming her Grandson, no helping him, and bring her along to help him get his wand. After she got her guardian's written permission, thank the gods he was in Scotland and not the Americas, or India.

The woman certainly had an odd style. She was dressed in a long green skirt and matching blazer, with a tall formal hat with a small vulture perched on it. The moment she stepped out of the fireplace she leveled Faye, the only person in the other than Neville and Professor McGonagall, with an extremely stern glare. She took in her Slytherin scarf, which Faye had been wearing often as it got quite cold in the dungeons, black combat boots and skinny jeans, with her loose silver blouse. Then she spoke.

"You're a Slytherin?" She asked and Faye nodded, and gave a small smile, she could see where this was going.

"You want to know why I'm hanging around a bunch of Lions, don't you?" Madam Longbottom nodded, so she continued. "We met on the train, and became friends so when Harry and I got sorted into Slytherin, we decided to continue being friends. It works well, I think. We all bring something different to the table, we just need a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs." She smiled at the woman. "You raised your grandson well, Madam Longbottom. Though he could use a bit more confidence in himself, though I think Harry and the rest of the Lions can help with that." She nudged his shoulder and grinned at him, relaxing a bit more when he grinned back. Madam Longbottom nodded.

"Well, I believe we should be going. Do you know how to travel by Floo, Miss Adder?" The older woman asked her and she nodded, accepting the pinch of flew powder she was offered. Madam Longbottom stepped back into fireplace and threw down the Floo Powder whilst shouting, "Diagon Alley!" Neville followed, then Faye and they found themselves in a small, shabby pub. They scrambled to follow Madam Longbottom as she strode forward at a fast pace. Soon, they reached Ollivanders. It was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A faded purple cushion lay in the dusty window, she fingered the wand in her pocket, the one that used to lay there.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Madam Longbottom hardly glanced at. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library; he swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to him to him and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. The back of her neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. Faye jumped, as did Neville. Ollivander was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Mister Ollivander, we are here to get my Grandson his wand, though a bit late. I'm sad to say I wanted him to use his father's wand, though Minerva and this young lady helped bring me to my senses." Madam Longbottom waved over to Faye and she waved.

"Ah yes, Miss Adder. Do correct me if I'm wrong, 12 3/4 In. with an unbending flexibility, an elegant mix of vine wood and aspen wood with a dragon scale and Unicorn horn sliver, freely given as a core." He smiled at her. "First wand I ever made. How is it working for you?" She grinned.

"Perfectly. I haven't had a problem, and spells are easy." He nodded.

"I'm glad. Now, Mister Longbottom, let's find you a wand." He smiled and started the procedure he did when she entered the shop for the first time.

Soon, they were walking out of the small shop, Neville carrying a new 13", Cherry wood, unicorn tail hair wand. They Flooed back to Hogwarts and settled down for a relaxing evening.

 **In case it wasn't obvious, this is a filler chapter.**


End file.
